


Heart to Heart

by NanixErka



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Arc Reactor, Fluff, Gen, IronDad and SpiderSon, Irondad, Medical Inaccuracies, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, dubious medical knowledge, everyone is alive and everyone is happy, i have no idea how this shit works, spiderson, vague mention of my Marvelsona because everything i write is self indulgent garbage, very very mild angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 17:09:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17871335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NanixErka/pseuds/NanixErka
Summary: Spider-man is ends up attacked and in a compromised state - with only one solutionAnd Peter Parker wakes up with a pale, blue glow sitting on his chest





	Heart to Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Well this was fun to write. I'm honestly shocked the fandom has never run with this before

Colonel James Rhodes had seen a lot of stress in his life. Everything from the horrors of war to the horrors of intergalactic conflict. But there was something about the other stresses that got his blood pressure up more- mostly, the aftermath. 

He, Happy, Pepper, Steve, and Tony had been sitting in the waiting room at the Avengers compound medical bay for nearly 4 hours. None of them had slept in nearly 12 but they couldn't find it in them to sleep, least of all Tony. No thanks in any small part to what the doctor had recommended for the patient just two hours earlier 

“The shrapnel, it's inoperable” 

“We’d have to use a magnet of some kind” 

“It’d only be temporary? 3 or 4 weeks max” 

Rhodes could see the gears turning madly in Tony's head. Peppers expression seemed somehow more pissed off and Happy hadn't said a word. Thank god for Steve 

“If it’ll save his life just do it!” He interjected, startling Tony out of his shocked stupor 

“Y-yeah yeah just. Friday, get the prototype 134-d ready for them” 

“Of course, boss. I'll have it delivered in less than 5 minutes” 

Two hours later the surgery was still ongoing. Tony stared blankly at the floor between his feet, his hand on his chest, feeling were the power source for his nanite suit lay, were an arc reactor rested for years that kept him from death. That made him take up the mantle of Iron Man. 

It was a few moments later before a portal opened, and Stephen Strange entered.

“How is he?” He asked, looking over to the double doors 

“We haven't gotten any significant updates” Rhodes answered “Just that they’ve had no serious complications so far.” 

“Good. I took a look at the schematics and their plans. Since the new reactor is so thin they can basically just implant it over his chest without having to move anything other than muscle tissue” he explained “It shouldn't take much longer but I will be on standby” he assured “I also contacted Banner and Thor to let them know what happened.” 

Tony looked up at Strange, hanging on his words that it wouldn't be as bad as it was for him, which was appreciated. Strange looked back at him, and took the seat next to.

“He's going to be fine, Tony.” Stephen assured again “It won't be like what happened to you. He’s resilient, a few weeks and he won't even have it anymore. It’ll be like it never happened” 

Tony sighed deeply and nodded, looking back at the door. It was unnerving for him to be so quiet, but no one bothered to question it. After all..

This wasn't the first time he’d worried so much about him

\--

Peter Benjamin Parker knew pain. He'd experienced everything from burns to stabs to solid right hooks. But the worst kind of pain was what he was feeling right now as he came back from unconsciousness- the dull, steady ache not unlike a pulled muscle or a migraine. He opened his eyes to a dark room and looked around has his eyesight fought blurry vision. As he cleared up he realized where he was- the med bay at the Avengers Compound. Not the first time he'd woken up here, admittedly. He sat up, getting his bearings. 

He was alone, for one, and looking out the window he saw that the sun was close to setting. He felt bandages, but most of them seemed to be on his arms and legs, which felt pretty fine. The one place that still ached was his chest. 

He looked down and was frozen still by a gentle, pale blue glow and a soft whirring that barely reached his ears. It was covered with bandages, sure, but what it was felt unmistakable, undeniable 

Terrifying, in a way. 

He pulled himself all the was up till he was leaned over, and pulled at the gauze, letting it fall away from his chest until he was face to “face” with an honest to God arc reactor, sitting perfectly center on his chest. 

His breath felt short, confusion and concern rising 

He didn't remember what happened. What the hell had happened? Was this a dream? Was he in some crazy mirror dimension like Doctor Strange liked to talk about? Did he go back in time and body/swap with a younger Tony Stark?

Every possible conclusion felt less plausible than the last but his brain fired off at a mile a minute. He couldn't take his eyes away. What had happened?? Why was- 

“Peter”

The teen nearly fell off the bed, sufficiently startled as he turned his head towards the voice. 

“D-d-doctor Strange?” Peter voiced 

“The one and only” he answered, a tender and caring smile gracing him. The fact that it reached his eyes was relatively reassuring. The doctor sat at the edge of his bed 

“I imagine you have many questions” he assumed “Tony will be here soon, but I can probably answer most of them” 

Peter spent a few seconds contemplating before asking “What… happened?” 

“A long story short, you got caught up in an explosion” Stephen started “You, Tony, Steve and I were fighting the Green Goblin and one of his grenades went off as you were flying in to hit him. It was a shrapnel bomb” 

“.. A… shrapnel bomb”

“It was designed to cause maximum internal damage” Stephen explained “Your body was full of dangerous, inoperable shrapnel that no matter the help or the doctor, we- they could not remove…So the doctor had an idea” 

Peters hand went up to the glass and metal on his chest, touching the warm machine for the first time “An arc reactor…” 

“Yes, but far different from Tony's, I assure you. The magnetization in this reactor is going to be used to draw the shrapnel in, and make is so that it can be removed. You won't have it on you for more than a month” 

“... A month is a long time” 

“Yes, I suppose, but if it means that you are safe, healthy, and alive, a month might as well be 3 days” Stephen voiced. “We’re all just so relieved that you are alive, Peter” Peter could practically feel the relief coming off of him in waves, and it left him feeling so overwhelmed he reached over and grabbed the doctor in for a hug. Stephen returned the gesture, shaking hands feeling firm and grounding against the teens back. 

“Thank you” Peter muttered. Stephen couldn't help a chuckle 

“For what?” 

All he got back was a noncommittal muffled reply. He rolled his eyes a bit and parted from the boy. 

“Tony will come in and get food for you. I'm sure with your metabolism you could probably eat a horse right about now” 

“Heh, you're uh, not really wrong there” he shrugged, Strange smiled at him gently, patting his shoulder 

“I’ll be back to check on you periodically” He assured “But I feel as if Tony might want to speak to you privately” 

Peter simply nodded, and was given the most reassuring smile Stephen could muster before he left. 

And with that, he was alone again. 

He looked down at the glowing machinery sitting on his chest and sighed, reaching up to touch it. 

“Uh… FRIDAY?” 

“Yes, Little Boss?” 

“Little-? Whatever uh, What time is it?” 

“Its currently 7:30 PM” 

“And uh, has anyone contacted Aunt May?” 

“Boss has called her for you, and told her that you were hurt, but that you are fine” Friday replied vaguely

Peter sighed in relief “Good... “ he lied back down “so uh, FRIDAY, how long until Mister Stark-” 

“Eager to see me, kid?” 

Peter shot right back up again - pausing with a cringe at the foreign feeling on his chest 

“Uh-h-hi! “ stumbled a bit “Doctor Strange said you’d be coming” 

Tony stretched his arms out performatively “And here I am” 

Peter watched Tony carefully, noting his tense shoulders and the fact that he was wearing sunglasses - which he never did indoors… not unless he was putting on a facade of some kind. He was dressed in another track suit, this time with red and gold. He came over to Peters bed and sat at the edge- keeping a respectable distance between them. Pete couldn’t help but contemplate the distance kept. 

“So uh, how are you feeling, Spiderling?” He asked 

“Uh, good! Pretty good. Nothing hurts or anything” He assured “This uh” he tapped the reactor “was a surprise” 

“Oh yeah well, welcome to the club” he tapped his own “.. How does it feel?” 

“.. Weird, mostly.” he admitted “Doctor Strange said that its collecting-” 

“Yeah, yeah its, ah” Tony pat his hands on his legs “You won’t have it in for long” 

“I know Mister Stark” He nodded

“And if at any point it gets uncomfortable we can find another way-” 

“No- no its fine, Mister Stark. It is!” He assured. “Its just uh… new, I guess” His hands hadn’t left the whirring machine that softly glowed on his chest, and he could see that through Tony’s glasses, he was staring too “...Mister Stark?” 

“Hm?” 

“Are uh, you okay?”

Tony stared incredulously at Peter, whose brown eyes showed his concern for his mentor. It brought back memories he almost wished he could forget. Smoke clearing, dust settling, seeing the boy reappear before his eyes and sob in his arms, clinging to Tony like a lifeline and then asking, after being brought back to life, that same question. 

Tony removed his sunglasses to look back at Peter. 

“... I don’t lie when I say I’m shaken up a bit, kid” He admitted “But you’re alive, and that’s what matters” 

Peter nodded

“Also, when you said you wanted to be like me i didn’t think you’d go this far” He snarked, eyebrow raised in amusement as Peter Sputtered 

“Wh-whoa this was unintentional!! Plus..” he contemplated “You said you wanted me to be better, right?” 

Tony’s chest filled with a kind ache of fondness for the boy as he said that “All right, come on” he moved closer and wrapped an arm around his shoulders “Hug time” Peter reacted almost immediately to his surprise, wrapping his arms around Tony's chest as tightly as he dared. “God you’re clingy” 

“Heh, always been” Peter commented

“We’re gonna have to work on that” 

“Mmmmnah” Peter chuckled “... Doctor Strange said something about food?” 

“Ah, yes yes” Tony let go “I have a crapton of food in the kitchen for you, think you can get up?” 

“Oh, yeah, nothin’ hurts but uh, here” he taps the reactor “Mostly just a muscle ache” 

“That’ll fade” Tony assured “Come on, lets go” he stood up and waited on Peter, who followed, getting up with no problem. 

The two of them made their way to the great room, which was oddly deserted for 3 in the afternoon, but when Peter asked where everyone was Tony just shrugged

“Hell if I know, lets get some food in you” 

And at that, Tony was digging into the pantry and pulling out chips and cookies and other junk food, piling it in front of Peter in a rather comical manner

“Uh… Mister Stark?” 

“You’ve earned a splurge, Petey” Tony assured 

“Well that's great but can we get like… pizza?” He asked almost nervously

“I’ve already ordered like, 30 pies from Ferraros” Tony pointed out, grabbing sodas from the fridge

“.... Ferraros? Like, Jersey Ferraros?” 

“The very same. Your nurse friend said you liked that place” 

“Oh wow” 

“Kid, you were in surgery for almost 8 hours. You are more than welcome to eat me outta house and home” he put a soda in front of Peter “Now drink something. You need some caloric intake

Peter chuckled and opened the soda, downing the damn thing in one tip back. Tony resisted the urge to guffaw 

“Geez, kid, remind me to never give you a corona” Tony chidded, patting his back as he put the soda bottle down 

“Pff, Beer smells gross, got no interest” Peter shrugged 

“Good” Tony pressed. 

Peter spent the better part of the next 20 minutes not talking, just eating and drinking food because he didn’t realize how hungry he was until he started eating. 

Tony, for his part, simply watched as the boy ate, nursing a shake and periodically staring at the glow just below Peter’s shirt. There was a part of him that absolutely hated that damn thing. It shouldn’t be anywhere on Peter for any reason… But It was keeping Peter alive until he was ready for the corrective surgery. And if this short term discomfort led to Peter going right back to normal, then dammit, he’d deal with the discomfort. 

The Pizza arrived, and Peter cheered, raising his hands in the air at the pizza boxes coming in. 

“Hey uh, Mister Stark?” 

“Hm?” 

“Where is May?” 

“She’s on her way. Happy went to pick her up” 

Peter smiled in relief before opening a pizza box and practically inhaling the jersey pizza. Tony opened a separate box and ate his own few slices. He had to admit that it was pretty good. 

“Your nurse friend has good taste in pizza” 

“Nell’s got good taste, period” Peter shrugged. 

“Pff, I've really gotta meet this “Nell” in better circumstances” Tony commented “All I get are glowing reviews but I've only met her twice - both times you were hurt” He explained 

“Heh, yeah. I’ll text her about it soon” Peter assured before shoving more pizza into his mouth. Tony nearly snorted into his soda

“Christ, kid, breathe!” Tony laughed a bit

“I’ll breathe when I’m not hungry anymore” The teen grumbled as she finished another slice. Tony’s stare was unamused. 

“Don’t you have a super metabolism?” The billionaire asked almost rhetorically

“Uh yea, he does” 

The duo turned their heads sharply and met eyes with a slightly tired looking Bruce Banner. 

“Brucey!” Tony grinned widely “Didn’t think you’d get here so soon!” 

“When Thor got your message I had to stop him from just using Stormbreaker to break the roof” The scientist chuckled lightly before his eyes fell on Peter. “And if it isn’t the man of the hour?” 

“Heh, hey, Doctor Banner” Peter greeted, forcing himself to stop eating “Nice to see you again” 

“Same to you. Glad we got that message from Strange” Bruce walked up to the teen and pat his back gently “How’re you holding up?” 

“Hungry, mostly” The teen admitted

“I’d imagine. Last I checked the data your metabolism rivals mine after letting the big guy run around for a couple of days” He admitted 

Peters eyes grew wide at that “Serious? I thought i was closer to like, Captain America” 

“Maybe once your done growing but for now, you have to be eating about 6 times what a regular teenager eats to maintain your body weight” Bruce explained 

“... Yikes” 

“Yikes indeed” Tony agreed “I gotta double check to make sure aunt hottie is using that supplemental money I’ve been sending to buy you food” 

Peter rolled his eyes “She has, don’t worry about it, I’m eating fine” 

“Hush and let me worry about you, spiderling” he absentmindedly ruffled the teens hair and Peter chuckled. Banner couldn’t hide a smile at the scene- as if he would even try.   
The rest of the evening was uneventful, save for Thor coming in and nearly squeezing the life out of young Parker, who was just flattered by Thor’s concern. 

“Th-thanks King Thor but uh- c-can you put me down? I can’t breathe” Peter wheezed before being dropped to his feet. 

“Oh, of course of course” Thor put him down and pat his shoulder amusedly, the grin still on his face “It is wonderful to see that you are still alive! We thought that goblin man had killed you!” 

Tony glared hard at Thor, who for his part didn’t even bother acknowledging the look 

“Uh, yeah.. I’m glad I’m not dead to?” Peter sheepishly answered. 

“You even have a reactor now.” Thor tapped the soft glow under peters shirt a few times, causing the boy to shiver at the bizarre sensation. 

“Well, I mean, I don’t know if that's a good thing” Peter shrugged

Thor shrugged right back “ I see nothing wrong with that. You’re following in your father’s footsteps” 

Tony nearly spit out the coffee he was drinking. For his part, Peter also looked caught off guard. 

“Wh, uh, mister-mister Thor, we’re- He’s not- mister Stark-” Peter stuttered. 

“Point Break, you know he’s not my son, right?” Stark manages without looking too flabbergasted. 

“.. Surely you’re kidding” Thor furrowed his brow. 

“Why would I kid about the kid?” Tony raised an eyebrow “He doesn’t call me “dad”” 

“Loki did not call our father “father” a good chunk of the time” Thor shrugged “I thought you two were just having issues” 

Bruce’s amused snort did not go unheard. 

“Well uh, yeah. No, King Thor. Not my dad” Peter awkwardly managed a chuckle. 

The look on Tho'rs face revealed his skepticism, but he just patted Peter’s shoulder

“Sure” 

And then he left. 

The silence he left behind was somehow too funny for Bruce to bear, and the man just burst out into laughter. 

“Oh…. oh lord” The normally subdued man wheezed “That was great” 

“You got all of that out of your system?” Tony chided him lightly, glancing at Peter who was till red as a damn tomato from Thor’s downright refusal to believe the two of them. 

“Probably” Bruce grinned sheepishly “Still hungry, Pete?” 

“Uh, no. I think I’m finally full” 

“Not too full enough for ice cream, I hope!” A voice from behind responded cheerily, 

Peter whipped around and squealed in excitement “May!!” 

The older woman was promptly tackled, just barely keeping home of the tub of ice cream in her hand as she hugged her nephew with her free arm. 

“Peter, honey” she squeezed “I'm so happy to see you up and around.” She kissed his head, Peter responding by hugging her just a little bit tighter 

“Heh, me too” he chuckled

“Okay okay, lemme go, I wanna see what the group chat is going on about” she pat his back and he pulled away, his brow furrowed 

“Group chat?” 

May paid no attention to the supposed question, pulling the collar of his shirt down and staring- it almost looked like glaring- at the arc reactor sitting pretty on his chest. 

“.... Wow” she breathed out in quiet awe. “So, its gonna draw in all the microscopic shrapnel..” 

“And make it so that a doc can just take it right out. No risk of damage further down the line” Tony finished

“That’s amazing, Tony.” She looked at the billionaire, a depth of gratitude he’d never seen behind her eyes “Thank you” 

“Hey, I didn’t put it n there” Tony raised his hands “Its just my tech” 

“That’s still impressive, Mister Stark” Peter turned to look at him “I.. really do owe you my life, huh” The boy smiled - a little lopsided 

Tony cleared his throat “Okay I thought we were done with all the mushy stuff” 

“With Peter? Never” 

“Yeah Mister Stark, you know me better than that” The younger man teased lightly “But uh, anyway…… ice cream?” 

“Spider-mango fruit punch” She grinned “Tony already has the Hulk-a hulk-a burning fudge” 

“That I do” 

“Aw man if I hadn’t almost died like 12 hours ago, today would be the best day of my life” Peter mused as he took the ice cream from may. Tony scowled slightly and May couldn’t hold back a chuckle. 

“Maybe don’t joke about that just yet” Tony chided lightly. 

The conversation died down once everyone got their ice cream and coalesced on the couch. 

As the group got comfy, watching Brooklyn 99 of course, Tony took stock of the situation. 

He was fine, Peter was fine, everyone was… fine. 

It felt like more of a relief than the man could properly process. 

\--

The month actually passed pretty quickly, given the circumstances. 

Since it was summer vacation, Peter didn’t need to worry about hiding the metal on his chest, and honestly, it was hard to see unless he was wearing his suit, or tight shirts- which he really wasn’t keen on already. 

He hung out with is friends, trained with the Avengers, went out as Spider-man, and seemed to just be enjoying himself. Peter was basically just having a great summer overall. 

But sometimes, late at night, when Tony couldn’t sleep, he’d find Peter up and about, sitting out on the balcony of the common room, staring out at the stars -or, more often, staring down at his chest. 

The two never shared many words, but Tony would bring him a cup of something warm that didn’t have caffeine (tea or hot cocoa, usually), and they’d watch the stars for a while. 

Towards the end of the month, during one of those nights, Peter actually asked something

“Hey uh, Mister Stark?” 

“Hm?” 

“... Did it hurt?” 

The boys question was met with silence for a time. 

“.. Yeah, kid. Hurt like hell” Tony admitted, shrugging “But I lived” 

Peter looked down at his drink, eyes just barely looking down at the glow under his sleep shirt 

“... You’re the strongest person I know, Mister Stark. . . I hope you know that.” The boy halfway smiled. 

Tony stared back at the boy, an unreadable expression about him. Like he wanted to say something, just on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he reached am arm out and dragged Peter against him

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, kid” Tony muttered. Peter leaned into him quietly. 

They didn’t speak the rest of that night. 

\--

Everyone was waiting in the Medbay waiting room once more, Tony and May nervously tapping their feet so loud that Clint was very close to bursting. 

“Okay, who is wearing goddamn tap shoes?” The man managed to keep his anger at a respectable volume. Pepper glared at him, “tapping” the heel of her shoe on his foot 

“Ow, okay, geez. I’m just saying can someone like, speak? The quiet is driving us all nuts” 

“And say what, Clint?” Pepper glared 

“I dunno, *something*” 

“How about a progress report?” 

The whole group turned their heads to meet Stephen, who was standing, dressed casually, in the doorway 

“Progress?” Tony voiced

“Complete success. They’re finishing up” The wizard announced. 

Tony slumped slightly, leaning on Pepper “Thank god” 

Stephen chuckled “Rest easy, Tony. He’ll be fine” 

“I’ll rest easy once the boy is up and walking” He responds “But thanks” 

Steve rolled his eyes on Stephen’s behalf. 

The rest of the event was without fanfare. Peter was put back in his room to recover, and May stayed to be there with him when he woke up. It took some serious convincing, but Pepper managed to get Tony to sleep. He wanted to be there when Peter woke up, but realized that he’d finally hit his limit and he’d be no help or comfort to the boy as sleep-deprived as he was. Baby steps. 

When Tony woke up, there was an over-excited teenager jumping around in his kitchen, talking about how it actually felt a little funny not having the reactor in his chest. 

“Don’t go getting used to that sort of thing, kid” He commented, wrapping an arm around Peter’s shoulders “I have a heart condition, you can’t be saying shit like that” 

“Pff, nice to see you too, Mister Stark” Peter rolled his eyes, munching on what looked like a burrito. 

“How’re you feeling?” 

“Pretty damn good, really” He shrugged

“Peter Benjamin Parker, you kiss your aunt with that mouth?” Tony teased

“Every night before I got to bed” Peter quipped. 

“Should wash it with soap” May teased, lightly wacking at him with a dish towel before turning back to Natasha, who was standing with the group in the kitchen. 

Peter laughed, bright and chiming, and Tony let himself relax. Actually, truly relax. 

There was a glint in his eye as he looked down at Peter, who was grinning at and bantering with Natasha now, though Tony wasn’t paying too much attention. 

Peter was okay, he’d be fine. Better than fine, even. He was _alive_. 

That was more than enough for him.

**Author's Note:**

> Questions? Requests? Come bug me over on tumblr! I'm over on doodleimprovement


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